Called to Freedom
The National Board of
Directors directs the the Called to Freedom program:
► Meets annually at a minimum
► Develops materials for
recruitment, training, and administration
► Directs and assists the
efforts of the Executive Director
► Promotes nationwide
activities/programs compatible with our mission
► Creates, presents and
authorizes community partnership proposals and grant proposals
► Recruits communities
and issues charters for local Called to Freedom Boards
► Maintains a
relationship with federal law enforcement and corrections officials
► Acts as a
professional resource in their individual areas of expertise
The National Executive
Director:
►
Maintains a national office presence and staff
►
Maintains a relationship with federal law enforcement and corrections
officials
► Maintains
materials for recruitment, training, and administration
► Tracks outcomes
at the national level and promote outcomes tracking at each level
► Promotes
nationwide activities/programs compatible with our mission
► Creates,
presents and authorizes community partnership proposals and grant proposals
► Recruits
and mentors local Called to Freedom Boards and Project Coordinators
► Maintains
the records for the national organization
► Cultivates,
tracks and maintains a list of national resources
► Assists
in the training of local Boards of Directors and local Project Coordinators
The local Called to
Freedom Board:
► Meets monthly
► Directs and assists the
efforts of the Local Project Coordinator
►
Recruits additional Board Members, wherever possible enlisting qualified
ex-offenders and/or their families
►
Recruits and supports the Community Mentors Council—a volunteer council
of people who actively work to promote and/or perform the functions listed under
“Community-wide Services”
►
Recruits and supports the Spiritual Mentors Council—a volunteer council
of people who actively work to promote and/or perform the functions listed under
“Individualized Services”.
►
Authorizes Subcommittees—smaller study groups made up of Called
to Freedom local Board Members for the purpose of making the
organization more effective.
►
Makes presentations to the community
►
Recruits and trains churches and volunteers
►
Acts as a professional resource in their individual areas of expertise
The local Project
Coordinator:
►
Answers to the local Board of Directors
►
Gathers and summarizes information for the National Executive Director
►
Acts as a coordinator between the community and corrections personnel
(local, state and federal prison chaplains and probation/parole agents)
► Tracks local outcomes
► Maintains the records
for the local organization
► Maintains a local
office presence and staff
► Keeps a list of
community resources
► Assists in the training of
churches and volunteers
► Maintains lists of
resources and materials
► Coordinates
prospective ex-offender and family screenings for acceptance into the program
The Spiritual Mentors
Council:
► Assigns
individuals/couples/families who will mentor a specific ex-offender and family
► Meets monthly to receive
updated training and discuss case management and resources
► Assists each effort to
mentor ex-offenders
► Provides a welcoming
contact person at their church for each ex-offender and family
► Reports deficiencies and
unmet needs to the local Project Coordinator
► Shares information and
passes along resources to the Project Coordinator
► Provides a liaison to
the local Board of Directors and to the Community Mentors Council
The Community Mentors
Council:
► Meets monthly to review
services being provided, needs, and resources
► Assists each effort
to mentor ex-offenders
► Provides a welcoming
contact person at their church for each ex-offender and family
► Reports deficiencies
and unmet needs to the local Project Coordinator
► Shares information
and passes along resources to the Project
Coordinator
► Provides a liaison to
the local Board of Directors and to the Spiritual Mentors Council
The Spiritual Mentors:
►
Meet and interview the ex-offender’s family as part of the local
Board’s initial screening to determine the family’s
willingness/availability/ability to participate
►
Maintain contact with the ex-offender once accepted into the program
►
Engage the ex-offender’s family fully during the ex-offender’s last
six months of incarceration
►
Work with probation/parole, the ex-offender and family to proscribe a
plan for success
►
Work with the ex-offender and the family to implement the plan for
success
►
Be available to take calls and support the efforts of the ex-offender and
family
►
Report to probation or parole any violations of the proscribed plan for
success
►
Coordinate the efforts within the congregation to assist in supplying
services
►
Be a welcoming contact person at their church for all ex-offenders and
families
The Community Mentors:
► Arrange and conduct
seminars, support groups, and classes on a community-wide basis
► Monitor and document
availability of services
►
Report to Spiritual Mentors about specific ex-offenders and their
families when that information can be used to further the ex-offender’s plan
and his family’s plan for success
►
Report to probation or parole any violations of the proscribed plan for
success
►
Be a welcoming contact person at their church for all ex-offenders and
families
► Monitor the
effectiveness of community-wide programs and services
► Provide ideas for
improvement during their monthly Community Mentors Council meeting
Probation and Parole:
► Help construct the plan for
success for each ex-offender and family
► Help identify/supply
necessary services to meet ex-offender and family needs
► Accept the Spiritual Mentor
as an advocate for the ex-offender and family
► Accept the Spiritual
Mentors and Community Mentors as credulous reporters of fact
►
Communicate to Spiritual Mentors or the local Project Coordinator any
change in the ex-offender’s status or level of threat to the community
►
Appoint a liaison to the local Board of Directors and Community Mentors
Council who will attend the monthly meetings
The
Prison Chaplain:
►
Identifies inmates who might be good candidates for Called to
Freedom
►
Assists the inmate in filling out the application
►
Submits a personal recommendation/testimony for the inmate
►
Upon acceptance to the program, administers the program materials
►
Makes themselves available to help the inmate complete the pre-release
portion of the program
►
Enables communication via telephone on a regular basis between the
assigned Spiritual Mentor and the inmate
The
Ex-offender:
► Responds to the Prison
Chaplain’s invitation to apply for the Called to Freedom program
► Fills out the application
and exhorts his family to do the same
► Cooperates fully with the
screening process
► Upon acceptance, completes
the six-month transition program during incarceration
► Helps construct their plan
for success
► Discusses
difficulties with their Spiritual Mentors or the local Project Coordinator
► Engages in helping
mentor other ex-offenders and “at-risk” people within the community
The Ex-Offender’s
Family:
► Cooperates with the
screening process and agrees to complete the transition program
► Helps construct their plan
for success
► Discusses difficulties with
their Spiritual Mentors or the local Project Coordinator
►
Engages in helping mentor other ex-offender’s families and
“at-risk” people within the community